


The Idea of Us

by TimmyJaybird



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, strange sort of pre-established relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 10:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4300923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimmyJaybird/pseuds/TimmyJaybird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“You know Dick,” he started, pulling back to look into his eyes while he stroked his hair. “We could have been great.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Idea of Us

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the prompt, "Imagine your OTP having a staring contest, person A ends up kissing person B and after says “You blinked” before going into a full out make out session."
> 
> I took the cutest thing and made it...well. Not.

“You’re an _idiot_ ,” Jason hissed, glaring at Dick, who was settled in the cave, domino mask and the top half of his suit pealed away. There was a bandaged taped over his chest, where Alfred had finished stitching him up, only minutes ago.

“ _I’m_ the idiot?” he asked, glaring back. “At least _I_ keep family in the _loop_ , Jason.”

“This wasn’t your fight.”

“You were going against Riddler _in Gotham_. That’s family business.” Dick raked his bare hands back through his hair, tongue pressing against the inside of his lip instinctively. It was busted, had bled into his mouth half of the way home. He was fairly sure he had a pulled muscle in his shoulder, as well.

“Fucking _family business_. I didn’t ask for help. I didn’t _want it_.” Dick frowned.

“You’d be six feet under if we hadn’t stepped in! You’re lucky Stephanie caught wind of what you were doing and called me. Can you imagine if she had called _Bruce_ instead?” Jason frowned, pulling his gloves off and chucking them onto a table, near his helmet, his own domino mask.

“You act like six feet under is a place I’ve never been.” Dick flinched at that, and Jason smirked. “And if Bruce had been involved, maybe the Riddler wouldn’t have _gotten away_.”

Dick clenched his hands into fists. _Low blow_. “He’ll resurface.” He shifted in the chair, aware that Jason was staring right into him. “He always does. It won’t be long.”

“He could lead me _right to the clown_.” Dick sighed.

“You know what Jason? You sound like _Bruce_ with your obsession with the Joker.” Jason snarled, rushing in, reaching behind Dick and grabbing the back of his chair, leaning in close.

“Don’t _ever_ compare me to the old Bat,” he growled, “We’re _nothing_ alike.” Dick’s frown felt like it was becoming a permanent feature on his face at this point.

“We’re _all_ like him,” Dick countered, “In one way or another. You’re no different from any of us, Jay. Maybe if you’d realize that, things would go more smoothly.” Jason’s snarl turned into a simple frown, and Dick was grabbing at his jacket, before he could pull away.

Dick knew, if this had been nearly any other venture gone wrong, Jason wouldn’t have reacted like this. But the Riddler had information on the Joker- and Dick knew that was always a touchy subject. Ever since his last break from Arkham, he’d gone under the radar- it had been two silent months now, and Harley, till incarcerated, had yielded no information on him.

Dick wasn’t shocked that Jason had turned to the Riddler to find the clown- his seemingly next _closest friend_ of the rogues. And Dick didn’t doubt the man knew something- the Joker had to have had a place to go, when he got out. Someone to go to, to get back on his feet. There was no other option, with Harley locked up.

They’d already made a case for Ivy, but unless her aiding the Joker would have gotten her closer to Harley, it was dismissed. Besides, she had been strangely quiet, lately. To the point that the family had given her a pass, to worry about other, more pressing matters and criminals.

“I’m leaving,” Jason said, breaking Dick from his thoughts, pulling away so the older man lost his hold on his jacket. He straightened up, and Dick stood, squaring his shoulders. Some days it still felt strange to have to look up at Jason-

Some days Dick completely forgot that the man could exist outside of the boy he had been as Robin.

“Don’t,” Dick started, “Stay, at least until everyone is back. We can talk this over. We can come up with a plan. Bruce wants the Joker back in Arkham just as badly-“

Jason snorted. “You know that’s not where I want him, Dick. Don’t lie to yourself.” Dick sucked on his broken lip. “Besides, I’m not interested in _family time_. Your methods would all be too slow.”

Dick frowned, didn’t want Jason to leave like this. He might disappear for weeks then, under the radar- coming up only when it was too late. Dick didn’t want to lose him again. He lost him far too often.

He held Jason’s stare, until finally the younger man blinked. Then- Dick couldn’t explain it, maybe he was pulling from those sweet memories of when Jason was younger again- he reached out for his jacket, grabbed it again, this time with both hands, and pulled him in. Jason stumbled the one step, and then Dick was leaning up, kissing him.

“What,” Jason started, even as Dick tried to move his mouth. The younger man leaned back, frowning still. “What the hell Dick?”

“You blinked,” he whispered, raising his eyebrows- and a moment later, the frown faded from Jason’s face. “Remember when you were a kid and we played that game?”

And Jason did. He remembered nights where he’d stare at Dick until his eyelids burned- and when he blinked the other man would kiss him. Jason always wanted to beat him, to be the one to initiate- because he was too _scared_ to, without the pretense of the game. Looking back, Jason knew that was stupid- Dick was the one that first told him about it. Dick was the one who kissed him first.

He knew now his desires would’ve been returned.

But that didn’t matter now. “You’re trying to distract me,” Jason pointed out, some of the anger having seeped from his voice. Dick offered up a cheesy smile.

“Is it working?” Jason hesitated a moment, before he shoved Dick back. The older man stumbled, fell back into the chair, and Jason dropped down to his knees between his legs, with a gentle _thud_ , leaning up and grabbing his chin, kissing him. Dick gasped, mouth yielding- lips extra soft, the lower one swollen, easy for Jason to tease with his teeth.

He got the same electric shook to his spine when he kissed Dick now that he had back in his days as Robin. The same attraction, same desire. Death hadn’t changed that.

His tongue dragged along Dick’s teeth, before teasing the split in his lip. He tasted copper when Dick’s lip reopened, heard him whimper, the sound turning into a broken moan at the back of his throat as Jason pulled back, kissed his jawline, leaving faintly pink smears behind.

Jason kissed down his neck, to his collar bone. There was a scar here, a time Dick had nearly broken his collar bone. Jason had been there, that night. So long ago. He’d watched his predecessor be bandaged up, with worried, young eyes. Dick had only smiled at him and ruffled his hair, told him it took more then that to bring down _Nightwing_.

Dick Grayson was immortal, in Jason’s eyes. Not physically- no, he’d die one day. They all would.

But the idea of the man, oh, that would live on.

Jason dragged his lips over the scar, then down, along the edge of the bandage on his chest. Dick tipped his head back, didn’t stop the man- never would have. Never did. This wasn’t the first time he’d kissed Jason, since his rebirth. Wasn’t the first time he’d been touched. But every time felt like something new.

It always felt like it _shouldn’t be happening_ , like there was no way Jason was truly there.

Jason mouthed at Dick’s ribs, dragged his teeth, pressed his fingers up into the bones. Dick hissed, and Jason smirked. “It’s cruel, bringing up those memories,” he whispered, letting the blunts of his nails trace scars. So many. A road map.

Jason had his own atlas set in his body.

“They’re good memories,” Dick offered, lifting his head again, looking down at Jason. He held his stare for a moment, before Jason stood up, pulled his mouth away, his touch. Dick wanted to whine over it, but he held the sound in. Restrained himself.

Something that was hard to do, around Jason.

“They’re a nuisance.” Dick knew Jason was lying, but he didn’t push it- this time. Instead, he let Jason leaned down, press a hand back into his hair, tilt his head back and kiss him again. Slow, deep, the kind that had his breath turning to fire in his lungs. And when Jason whispered, it was against his lips, his tongue, down into his throat. “You know Dick,” he started, pulling back to look into his eyes while he stroked his hair. “We could have been great.”

Dick felt his ribs tightening, and wanted to shut Jason up again. To kiss him, until the family was back, until they were _caught_. Until everyone knew the strange sort of love he had for this man, their _sometimes brother_ , _sometimes enemy_. The dead son. The myth.

He didn’t care. If it meant Jason stayed, _he didn’t care at all_.

But Jason pulled away again, walking back to the table, pulling his gloves on. He tucked his mask into his jacket, but grabbed his helmet, looking back at Dick a finally time.

“Another night, golden boy,” he offered, teasing, but softly. The rage was nearly gone- and Dick knew it would be back, but for the moment, Jason was placid. The anger had melted into the sound of remorse, because if Jason was honest, he _knew_ they could have been great.

And maybe he wanted that, that sliver of him that clung to the ghost of a boy in red, who had a future, who had _hope_. Who could have grown up and ruled the city with his _lover_.

But that was a future gone. Dreams poorly spent. Jason did not dare to fool himself on that. But he would never be against taking tastes of it, when offered. Tormenting himself know that Dick could still be his-

One of them would simply have to change _all of who they were_.

“We still can be,” Dick finally whispered. “Just...just come home, Jason. Just _stay_.”

Jason took one more look at him, before he slipped his helmet on, making his way through the dark of the cave, towards the exit. Staying meant more then Dick- it meant the rest of the family. It meant rules he no longer believed in.

It meant sacrificing himself. And Jason was sure he had died enough.

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one of those oneshots where I feel like I set up the premise for an actual fic or series/verse. But who knows it that'll ever actually happen. I'm bad at that XD
> 
> Also, this is two days in a row of angst. This is weird for me.


End file.
